I believe that Science (like many other things) has been hi-jacked by politics.

This is nothing new. Science has always been at odds with the status quo (politics, religion, etc.) Galileo's fact based observations disagreed with the church (i.e. the ruling power of his day) and he was attacked. Darwin's observations and those of paleontologists of his time were attacked in his day and ever since. In school we were all taught the flat earth denial story (and usually taught it poorly.) I expect Ogg was probably kicked out of the cave by the tribal leader for suggesting that fire might be put to good use.

Politics and religion and corporations and power in general are all invested in the status quo. They are about getting and keeping power. Science can be a threat to the status quo. It can undermine the 'reality' being sold to the masses by the holders of power. For that reason those in power often attack science as a threat, not because they are stupid.